Invalid-bed



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 1.

J. T. HALL.

INVALID BED. No. 555,859. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

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AN DREW B GRAHAM, PHOTO LITHQWASHIN 510", D c

' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. HALL. INVALID BED.

No. 555,869. Patented M21123, 1896..

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ANDREW B GRAHAMJHOTOUTHG WASNINGTONIJC NHE STATES JAMES T. HALL, OF MONTICELLO, ARKANSAS.

INVALID- -BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,859, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed April 18, 18 9 5.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. l-IALL, residing at Monticello, in the county of Drew and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Invalid-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to invalid-beds, and has for its object to provide a bed with means by which the position of the occupant can be quickly and readily changed and whereby provision is also made for changing the bed clothing without worry or danger to the occupant.

A further object of the invention is to provide means wherebya bed-pan can be quickly and easily placed under the occupant of the bed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cheap and simple bed of the character specified.

The invention will be first described in connection with the drawings and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the mattresses removed and the parts in a different position, the mattresses, the bath-tub, and bed-pan being also shown in perspective. Fig. is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4: is an inverted plan view. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the headboard swung into an inclined position, the lowermost section thereof being opened to permit of the removal of the head-section of the mattress, and the foot-section of the bottom lowered and the bathtub in position. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line (3 6 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on line 7 7 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bedstead broken away and showing the head-section of the bottom in an inclined position.

A represents the head-board, B the footboard, 0 the rails or sides, and D the feet or legs, of a bedstead.

The bottom E of the bedstead is formed of the three sections 6, c and 6 the central section, 6 being stationary and the end sections, 6 and 6 being hinged, so that the section 6 Serial No. 546,248. (No model.)

can swing up and the section 6 down. end sections, 6 and a are hinged to the crossbars 0 extending between the rails or sides 0, and to the under side of these cross-bars c the central stationary section, 6 is secured, so that it will be below the plane of the end sections. To the under side of the sections and e brackets 7L and 7t are respectively secured, and to these brackets the jointed rod I is pivoted. The rod I is formed of the sections 4.' 2' pivoted together at 45 and the section 9? works in a keeper 1' on the under side of the stationary section 6 of the bottom, so as. to guide the rod in its movement. It will be seen that by thus connecting the sections of the bottom they can be simultaneously operated, one being raised while the other is lowered, and vice versa. It will also be seen that by this connection between the sections it is onlynecessary to provide means for holding the section 6 raised, the section 6 being held and prevented from falling down too far by the said connection.

For holding the section a raised I pivot to the under side of the said section the brace 6 which engages notches or a rack 6 secured to the inner sides of the rails C of the bedstead, so that by adjusting the brace in the notches or teeth of the rack the section can be held at any desired inclination.

The brace 6 preferably consists of two rods 6 hinged to the section e and connected at their ends by a cross-rod 6 whose ends project beyond the rods e, so as to engage the rack 6 To support the brace e and prevent it dropping down too far when the section 6 is raised, a brace a similar in construction to the brace e is pivoted to the section a in front of the brace 6 and upon the projecting ends of its cross-rod the rods 2 rest. In order to disengage the brace c from the notches or rack to permit the sections e and e to be returned to their normal position, a trip-rod j is mounted in a bearing on the under side of the rail C and one end projects up through a keeper 011 the said rail and is provided with a handle, and its other end projects toward the head portion of the bedto engage the brace, so that by manipulating the trip-rod j the brace can be quickly and readily disengaged from the notches or rack.

The head-board A consists of four sections The ICO

a, a a and a, the sections a and being hinged together and to the rails O by means of the angle-bars a secured to the section a and the bars a secured to the rails O and pivoted to the angle-bars a so that the said sec tions can be swung into alignment with the section a resting on the rails of the bed, so that the patient can be supported thereon for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The section a is hinged at its lower edge to the bedstead and is held in a vertical position by hooks or any other suitable fastening. This section a of the head-board permits the head-section of the mattress F, formed of three sections f, f and f, to be removed when desired. The section a is simply an ornamental piece and is detachably secured to the section (6 of the head-board, so that it can be removed when the said sections a and a are brought into use.

The foot-board B is hinged at its lower edge to the bedstead, so that it can be lowered to permit the ready removal of the foot-section of the mattress when desired. The foot-board is held in a vertical position by hooks or similar fastening devices, and on the foot-beard is mounted a catch 1) adapted to engage the foot-section e of the bottom and hold it in a horizontal position, when desired. To permit the readyinsertion of a bed-pan G under the occupant of the bed, and also to facilitate the removal of the central section of the mattress, I mount a sliding board or -floor II 011 the central section, 6 of the bed bottom and provide the door 0 in one rail 0 of the bedstead to permit the withdrawal of the said board or floor II. The inner end of this board or floor H is supported upon a cleat c secured to the rail 0 between the cross-bars c, and to this cleat and cross-bars the wedge-shaped pieces c are secured. These wedge-shaped pieces form an incline way or guide on which the board or floor travels as it drawn out or pushed in.

To the front edge of the board or floor II is hinged the bar or support 7L2, so as to swing outward and upward. The board or floor II is supported in a horizontal position and on a level with the hinged sections 6 c of the bottom by the cleat a and the bar or support 7L2, and said board or floor is prevented from being pulled entirely out by a hook or catch 7L3 on its under side and engaging the rail 0 when the board or floor is pulled out.

By means of the wedge-shaped pieces a" and the bar or support 7L2 the board or floor II can be lowered below the level of the hinged sections of the bottom 0 and a when withdrawing or returning it to its position. To remove the floor or board H, the bar or support 7b2 is swung outward and upward by the strap 711 attached to it,when the outer end of the board or floor will drop down into an incline position, and then as the board is pulled out it travels down on the wedge-shaped pieces, and its inner end is thus lowered on a level with the outer end,when it can be readily removed.

For convenience of giving the occupant of the bed a foot-bath I provide a tub K, having flanges 7t" adapted to rest upon the rails of the bed and support the tub between the rails thereof, when the foot-section e of the bottom is lowered and the foot-section of the mattress is removed.

The head and foot sections f and f of the mattress are prevented from sliding off of their sections of the bottom by rods ac and 00 the red at being secured to the rails of the bed and the rod 32 which is bent, secured to the foot-section c of the bottom.

In operation, when it is desired to place the head and foot sections 0 and c in an inclined position the head-section e is raised by means of a strap a secured thereto, and the brace 0 will drop into the notches or teeth of the rack c and hold the same in this position.

To insert the bed-pan under the patient, the sliding board or floor H is withdrawn, the mattresssection f removed, the bedpan placed on the board or floor and the board or floor then returned to its position.

It will of course be understood that the bedpan can be placed under the patient when the end sections, c c, are either in a horizontal or inclined position.

The foot-tub K can be used when the end sections, a e", are in an inclined position, or should it be desired to use the foot-tub without raising the patient to an inclined position the foot-section c of the bottom can be lowcred for this purpose by either removing the belt that connects the sections 1' i of the red I together or the bolt that connects the section 2' with the bracket h, when the section 0" of the bottom can be lowered, the head-section 6 remaining in a horizontal position.

\Vhen the foot-section c has been. lowered without raising the head-section c for the purpose of a bath and by the means just described, the bed-pan can be placed under the patient, and the patient being raised to a sitting pesture on. the pan the head-sections (t and a can be swung into alignment and so that the section a" will rest upon the rails 0, when by lowering the head-section a the head-section of the mattress can be removed. It will thus be seen that all the sections of the mattress can be changed, the bed-pan used, and the patient given a foot-bath at the same time.

Of course it will be understood that the head-sections can be swung into an inclined position to support the patient, when desired, while removing the head-section of the mattress.

The foot-section f of the mattress can be removed when the parts are in a horizontal position by lowering the foot-board B.

Having thus descrlbed my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An invalid-bed provided with a headboard, comprising two sections hinged together to fold one upon the other when in their normal position, one of the said sections rgo being hinged to the sides of the bed to swing into an incline position above the bed when the sections are open and in alignment, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An invalid-bed provided with a headboard, comprising two sections hinged together to fold one upon the other when in their normal position, and links pivoted to one of the said sections and to supports on the rails of the bed, substantially as described.

3. An invalid-bed having its head-board formed of a plurality of sections, two of the sections being hinged together and to the bed, and a third section hinged to the bed and adapted to be secured to one of the hinged sections, substantially as described.

4. An invalid-bed having the middle section of its bottom in a lower plane than the end sections and provided with an opening in one of its rails, a sliding board or floor above the said middle bottom section and means for lowering the board as it is drawn out through the opening of the rail of the bed, substantially as described.

5. An. invalid-bed having the middle section of its bottom in a lower plane than the end sections and provided with an opening in one of the rails of the bed, said opening being closed by a hinged door, a sliding board above the said middle bottom section and provided with a support at its outer end and inclines on the said bottom section at the side opposite the opening in the rail, and upon which the said board slides, substantially as described.

6. An invalid-bed having its middle bottom section in alower plane than the end sections and provided with an opening in one of the rails of the bed, inclines on the said bottom section at the side opposite the opening in the rail, and a board sliding 011 the said inclines and provided with a bar or support hinged to the outer edge thereof, substantially as described.

7. In an invalid-bed, the combination with a bedstead having an opening in one rail closed by a door, of a board or floor fitted to slide transversely in the bedstead, a support for the inner end of the board and a bar or support hinged to the outer edge of the said board, substantially as described.

8. In an invalid-bed, the combination with a bedstead having its foot-section hinged to swing downward, of a foot-tub provided with flanges to rest upon the upper edges of the rails of the bedstead and having its bottom constructed to fit upon the said foot-section when lowered, substantially as described.

9. In an invalid-bed, the combination with a hinged head-section, and racks on the rails of the bedstead, of an approximately U- shaped brace hinged to the said section and provided with lateral projections adapted to engage the racks, a second approximately U shaped brace pivoted to the said section and having lateral projections engaging the arms of the first-named brace, and a trip rod mounted in hearings on one rail of the bedstead and provided with a forwardly-projecting arm adapted to engage one of the lateral projections of the first-named brace, substantially as described.

10. In an invalid-bed, the combination with the rails or sides, of a head-board formed of a plurality of sections, two of which are hinged together, angle-bars secured to one of the hinged sections, and bars secured to the rails and pivoted to the angle-bars, substantially as herein shown and described.

11. An invalid-bed provided with a hinged and sectionalhead-board,ahinged foot-board, a sectional bottom, the end sections of which. are hinged, a transversely-sliding board at about the center, and a door in one of the rails to permit the removal of the said sliding board, substantially as described.

12. In an invalid-bed, the combination with a bottom having hinged head and foot sections, and means for connecting the sections together, of a brace hinged to the head-section and formed of two bars connected by a cross-rod whose ends project beyond the bars, racks on the rails with which the projecting ends of the cross-rod engage, and a second brace pivoted to the said section in front of the first brace and comprising bars and a crossrod connecting the lower ends of the bars, substantially as described.

JAMES T. I-IALL.

IVitnesses:

A. B. HALL, O. T. KENNEDY. 

